The electronics giant previously shunned big acquisitions, and the latest deal underscores a strategic shift as the company tries to break into the high-barrier automotive industry where it has little track record.

The remarks come after environmental group Greenpeace issued a statement earlier this week demanding the world's top smartphone maker find a way to reuse rare materials in the discontinued smartphones that Samsung is taking back.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued recalls for battery packs, snow blowers, hoverboards, flashlights and power recliners in the past year, all because of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.